London , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Irish football officials have lodged an official complaint with world ruling body FIFA after Thierry Henry confessed that he handled the ball in the build-up to the goal which sent France to next summer 's World Cup .

Television cameras showed Henry guiding the ball with his hand twice , before William Gallas scored from his resulting cross to give `` Les Bleus '' a narrow win in the two-legged World Cup play-off against the Republic of Ireland .

`` I will be honest . It was a handball but I am not the referee , '' the Barcelona striker told reporters after the match in Paris .

The Irish Justice Ministry confirmed to CNN that Dermot Ahern had asked the Football Association of Ireland -LRB- FAI -RRB- to demand a replay in the interests of fair play .

`` Thierry Henry has admitted handling the ball , claims he told the ref he handled it . Millions of people worldwide saw it was a blatant double handball -- not to mention a double offside -- and we should put the powers that be in the cozy world of FIFA on the spot and demand a replay , '' Ahern said in a statement sent to CNN .

`` They probably wo n't grant it as we are minnows in world football but let 's put them on the spot . It 's the least we owe the thousands of devastated young fans around the country . Otherwise if that result remains it reinforces the view that if you cheat you will win . ''

The FAI later confirmed that it had taken the matter to FIFA .

`` I really believe the integrity of the game has been questioned last night , '' chief executive John Delaney told reporters . `` The governing body of world football have to step up to the plate and accede to our call for a replay . ''

Delaney said the FAI had also written to the French football federation .

`` They need to look at themselves in this situation . Henry is their captain and a wonderful footballer , but does he want to be like Diego Maradona and his legacy to be this handball , this goal that got them to the World Cup in an unjust manner ? If we had qualified in this manner , I would n't be happy , '' he said .

`` It is up to the people who govern the game now . Every time I go to a FIFA congress I hear about fair play and integrity . This was a defining game with the whole world watching , and if FIFA believe in fair play and integrity , this is their opportunity to step forward . ''

The FAI has argued that there is a precedent for the result to be struck out , following FIFA 's ruling that Uzbekistan had to replay a play-off against Bahrain for the 2006 World Cup in Germany after the referee made a mistake in awarding a penalty .

`` The Football Association of Ireland is hoping that FIFA and its disciplinary committee will , on behalf of football fans worldwide , act in a similar fashion so that the standards of fair play and integrity can be protected , '' the FAI said .

FIFA confirmed it had received the Irish request for a replay , but gave no timescale on a decision .

However , it said that under its regulations the referee 's decision can not be changed .

`` Law 5 states that the decisions of the referee regarding facts connected with play , including whether or not a goal is scored and the result of the match , are final , '' it said .

`` The referee may only change a decision on realising that it is incorrect or , at his discretion , on the advice of an assistant referee or the fourth official , provided that he has not restarted play or terminated the match . ''

Irish captain Richard Dunne , who spoke to Henry on the final whistle , said he felt cheated by the goal .

`` He admitted he handled it , but it does n't make me feel any better because we are not going to the World Cup finals , '' the defender said .

`` FIFA will probably be happy . Yet again the big decisions have gone for the bigger team . ''

Football 's international governing body had faced criticism from several Irish players that the seeding system for the play-off draw favored more powerful nations such as France .

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Dunne 's teammate Robbie Keane admitted it was `` hard to speak , '' as he struggled to come to terms with the result .

`` With the way we played , we certainly deserved to win the game and it killed us near the end with that handball , '' he was quoted by the FAI Web site as saying .

`` I 've seen the replay but we knew anyway -LRB- it was handball -RRB- . You could see by the reaction of the players , especially Shay -LRB- Given -RRB- who was two yards away from it . You do n't get a reaction like that . It was a clear handball .

`` He -LRB- Henry -RRB- almost caught the ball and actually ran into the net with it . We 're devastated . ''

Ireland team manager Giovanni Trapattoni told reporters that the referee had time to ask the linesman and then Henry . `` It would not have been the first time a player would have asked and it would not have been out of turn .

`` We are angry , '' the Italian continued . `` It is a bitter evening for me . I would prefer to have gone out on penalties . ''

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But former France international David Ginola was emphatic that Henry should not have `` owned up . ''

`` You do n't do that , '' he told CNN . `` Henry was doing his job . You ca n't blame him for doing everything he could for his team and country to get them to South Africa .

`` But it was a shame to finish the game like that as Ireland had played very well .

`` Referees need more help on the pitch , so as not to allow things like that . Obviously the referee was not well-positioned and could n't see . ''

English Referees Union chief Alan Leighton told CNN that Swedish official Martin Hansson had clearly missed a huge decision .

`` I think the incident was more of instinct than deliberately attempting to cheat but it does seem that the ball hit his hand twice and therefore there is an issue . ''

But on the wider issue of cheating , Leighton said : `` It is all very well to blame the referees for not spotting it but fundamentally it starts with the players .

`` I think the players have to think about the game , think about the reputation of the game and their own reputations and say look actually there is a line that we will not cross . ''

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NEW : Republic of Ireland officials lodge official complaint with world ruling body FIFA

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NEW : FAI also writes to French counterparts asking for World Cup play-off to be replayed

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Cameras showed France 's Thierry Henry guiding ball with his hand twice , before William Gallas scored

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Ex-France player David Ginola said Henry was only doing his job for his country and should not be blamed